Tigers, Jayhawks set for Border War clash

Dave Matter

Saturday

Nov 26, 2011 at 12:01 AMNov 26, 2011 at 1:00 AM

Missouri offensive lineman Jayson Palmgren was born in the state of Kansas. His grandma and great grandpa were Jayhawks fans. Somewhere back home a photo exists that proves they tried passing on their Border War loyalties.

Saturday

Kansas vs. Missouri in Kansas City, 2:30 p.m. (FSN)

“I found a picture of me wearing KU stuff when I was a baby,” Palmgren said this week.

“That,” he added, “wasn’t my choice.”

Like so many of the 119 previous Missouri-Kansas showdowns before today’s rendition, the game’s magnitude will hardly register on the national consciousness. But for veteran players like Palmgren who grew up around the rivalry and became part of its fabric at Arrowhead Stadium the last few years, the intensity never dies.

“The freshmen here have no idea what’s going to happen,” Palmgren said. “But after one experience, they’ll understand for the rest of their lives.”

Of course, those lives could outlast the rivalry. Today’s 2:30 p.m. matchup will be the last if Kansas officials and their successors stay true to the current leadership’s intentions to end the series as long as Missouri’s playing in another conference. The Tigers (6-5, 4-4 Big 12) expect to begin play in the Southeastern Conference next season, and though the game is under contract for one more year at Arrowhead, Kansas (2-9, 0-8) wants no part of playing its longtime rival in a nonconference arrangement.

That would be sad, Missouri senior tight end Andrew Jones said.

“It’s too much fun and too big of a deal for everyone to end this,” said Jones, a native of Smithville, a small town just north of Kansas City. “There’s teams in the SEC who play their rival. Clemson and South Carolina play the last game of the year every year. So, I don’t see why we shouldn’t be able to play them.”

“It’s frustrating,” receiver T.J. Moe added. “But it’s not the players. Their players want to play us. Our players want to play them. It’s more executive bitterness. … If they’re upset we’re leaving the Big 12, well, dude, I didn’t decide to leave the Big 12. I’m just playing the games on the schedule. I just get on the bus, and wherever they take me, I put on my helmet and catch the ball.”

Missouri players and coaches gave no indication the usual Border War hostility has subsided because of the Jayhawks’ struggles. If anything, they’re revived by the looming finality of the series.

“My brother went to Kansas,” said defensive coordinator Dave Steckel, referring to his older sibling, former NFL coach Les Steckel. “I love my brother. I don’t talk to him this week.”

“If they were 0-11 it would mean the same,” receiver Wes Kemp said. “It’s Kansas.”

This particular Kansas team isn’t much better than winless, owning only one victory over an FBS opponent, Northern Illinois back on Sept. 10. By Big 12 standards, the Jayhawks are bad at just about everything — of the 31 team statistics the league tracks, Kansas ranks last or next to last in 20 — but have been especially abysmal on defense. Five opponents have averaged at least 6 yards per rushing attempt on KU. Opponents have averaged 7.1 yards per carry on first down and scored 37 rushing touchdowns, the most allowed by a Big 12 defense since Nebraska’s 38 in 2007.

Still, offensive coordinator David Yost found ways to keep his charges interested this week.

“They were beating Baylor 24-3 in the fourth quarter,” Yost said. “We know Baylor’s a good team. Iowa State had to find a way to beat them 13-10. Iowa State beat” Oklahoma State “the other day and Iowa State beat the heck out of Texas Tech, too. Every week’s a battle.”

The Tigers don’t need a reminder. They’re riding their first winning streak of what’s been a tumultuous season, a year that’s produced season-ending injuries to their best offensive lineman (Elvis Fisher), most experienced linebacker (Will Ebner) and the Big 12’s top running back (Henry Josey). Then, once the SEC rumors and diversions settled down, the Tigers had to deal with Gary Pinkel’s DWI arrest and subsequent suspension.

Pinkel was reinstated Thursday and will be back on the sideline today after missing last Saturday’s 31-27 comeback win over Texas Tech. Normalcy can begin anew.

“I can’t wait for him to come back for the most important game of the year,” Jones said earlier in the week. “We need our head coach back for our most important game of the year.”

Offensively, the Jayhawks try to confuse defenses with a variety of formations and pre-snap shifts and motions. Quarterback Jordan Webb was among the league’s most efficient passers early in the season but dropped off midway through conference play. Kansas can occasionally run the ball effectively, with tailbacks James Sims and Darrian Miller averaging 114 rushing yards collectively.

Otherwise, the Jayhawks struggle in most areas. Their highest ranking in any Big 12 statistic is third: time of possession, penalties and fourth-down conversions.

“I don’t care if they’re No 1 or No. 120,” Jones said. “I still want to play them and still want to beat them. … It doesn’t matter to me if they’re 0-12 or 12-0. They’re still going to play hard. But we know we’re going to play harder because this game is more important to us than it is to them.”

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